vossy

Good day everyone,
 
A little work has been done on the build. Unfortunately not a whole lot since this thing called a job tends to get in the way of my fun time. Anyway, I have planking complete on the hull as well as filled, sanded and painted. I made the mistake of using gloss paint in the hopes that it would fill in some of the voids i may have missed during filling and sanding. Nothing that cannot be remedied with a little sandpaper and some flat white. This is my first painted build so I dealing with a learning curve when it comes to painting. On the good side, this will give me the opportunity to apply a little more filler and clean the hull up a bit.
 

 
 
One thing I did notice is that when I installed the keel on the bow, I some how managed to make it a little long. Now the deck pieces are about 1/4 too short cover the bow. Not sure how I managed to do that. Must have given the bow a little too much rake when planking. I may be able to extend the bow a little to cover this up since I am still not real happy with finger joint on the deck pieces and will probably lay down my own planking. I'll give this some more thought and hopefully come up with some sort of solution. 
 

 

Denis, do you mean this bad boy or the B52 kit ?  I build this B36 kit probably thirty years or more ago, can't remember if it was a Revell or Monogram kit but it was advertised at the time as being the largest wingspan model airplane available. It's been hanging from the rafters in my cellar since I built it and some parts have fallen off due to glue failure and some of the decals are coming off too; been trying to salvage the decals with Microscale's Sol and Gloss to reattach and reseal them. Plus it is covered in dust which I have to periodically take it down and dust it off without doing any damage.  Wingspan by the way is 38-39 inches. Don't remember what scale but I'm guessing 1:72 maybe. (That's my B17 to the right of it)
 

 
 

For years now, I have been thinking about building R.M.S. Titanic. Just like many other people, I have always had a keen interest in her history. By moving through this build, I am looking forward to gaining even more information about this amazing piece of machinery and how she helped shape our history going forward.

            Just recently, the opportunity came upon me to do so. Last Sunday I woke up made, my coffee and breakfast sat down in the living room and proceeded to figure out what I was going to do for the day. While sitting there I received a message from a colleague of mine in my model club. He asked if I would be interested in building a ship for someone. I was intrigued about this notion, as this would be my first commission build, so I replied to his message and said yes I would. He put me in touch with the person and the next thing I know is I now have a 1/400 scale model of R.M.S. Titanic in my shop.

            This build will include many firsts for me. My first ship of this scale, first time doing PE and First-time laying wood veneer.

            I hope everyone enjoys the build as I go along, and I will be open to any comments or suggestions as we move through.


 
Thanks,

Craig K

Hello from New Zealand - my first post although I've been a casual browser for many years! I recently decide in my older (wiser?) years to build a tall ship and as the Endeavour is a well known vessel in NZ and Australian history, decided this was it. The A.L. kit was available locally (NZ) and here I am. I'm a reasonably experienced modeller (scratch built rc scale aircraft - mostly WW1) and have a fairly well equipped, but untidy, workshop.
My hope is that I can ask questions of the vastly more experienced crowd here on MSW. My hope is that this model can be completed, unlike my previous attempt (another story).
So, enough waffle - I scanned the kit's contents, found the expected generally OK quality, have read a few builds on other forums and decided to perch here and share my stumbling beginnings.
First, a base was built to secure the 6mm ply keel to while the 6mm frames were all fitted squarely, and the decking pondered. I also marked out and pre-drilled the mast holes using card angle guides and my small drill-press to ensure the lower mast sections were all lined up!
I'm looking forward to some relaxing fun!
 
Pat

Folks,this model is the realization of a childhood dream. As long as I can remember, I have had a passion for submarines and more specifically for the German Type VIIc. A few years ago, Revell Germany proposed a very impressive model of the Type VIIc at the scale of 1/72 that was a nice match for their re-issue of the Matchbox Flower Class Corvette. 


A lot of negative things can be said about the Chinese quality and products, but in the domain of plastic scale models, they created a renewal, a revival of that discipline that no American or European companies have been able to even get close to. It started with their Bismarck and USS-Arizona in the scale of 1/200 and they have been relentlessly offering multiple models each time, bigger and bigger. The upcoming Titanic at 1/200 is another proof of their energy and commitment to this form of Hobbies. The models offered, the molding, packaging, artwork of the contents, quality of instructions and the size are absolutely unmatched by European or American manufacturers. Tamiya, being Japanese, remains in the leading group, but you pay for it.

Their 1/48 U-Boat U-552 kit is probably the biggest kit that can be found on the market today, at least it is in my small collection.  The following shows the box weighing 22 pounds resting against some of my pinball machines: 

That model is massive with a length of 1.440 meters, near 5 feet. The kit includes more than 1100 parts and is extremely well presented, packaged and molded as are the modern Trumpeter kits. All the parts are arranged into three large boxes with delicate parts carefully wrapped with bubble shields. The main hull and rear hull are located in their respective boxes, impervious to shocks and mishandling.

Three booklets come with the kit: Instructions for assembly (70 pages), instructions for colors (20 pages) and a flyer for painting and assembling the 50 some crew members. 
 
on the PE side, it is very limited and spartan: 

However, two PE solutions are available:
- Eduard with 3 sheets of PEs for the hull and conning tower 
- RCSubs with a fantastic offering (slightly more expensive than Eduard but ten times better and more protypical) of PEs, including the infamous Enigma machine in the scale of 1/48 - https://www.rcsubs.cz/index.php/photo-etched-sets/20-sets-for-u-boat-viic-1-48-trumpeter-06801

 
I have not made up my mind yet, but I am leaning very strongly towards RCSubz which allows to redo the entire deck and part of the hull, in brass. They are currently sold out but working hard to produce other PE kits.
 
The amounts of parts is overwhelming: 



I have not replicated the instructions here, as it can be easily found on the Internet. Instructions are very precise, clear and are leading you step by step, towards a successful completion of that large model. 
 
The hull is provided with a grey side and a clear side: 


A lot has been said about that kit and numerous people have built it on the WEB. The best realization (in my humble opinion), being a French modeler who turned that kit into a museum piece with a galore of extra details. His Build Log can be found here: http://www.laroyale-modelisme.net/t20510-u-552-trumpeter-echelle-1-48 (in French): 


Here is another shot from a different builder, showing a beat-up and heavily rusty Type VII (Revell kit): 

People have been complaining about the clear acetate used to mold the Port side of the submarine and the starboard of the conning tower (mishap!!) and wished that both parts were molded with polystyrene. The Trumpeter kit insists mostly on the inside of the U-Boat and it is clearly what the Chinese tried to do with this massive kit. The Trumpeter kit is an enlargement of the Revell kit and all mistakes of the original Revell kit regarding the hull, have been carried over to the Trumpeter model. 
 
Despite these limitations, that kit remains an absolute must have (for submarine enthusiasts) and offers incredible potential for kit bashing and a level of details rarely obtained in naval plastic kits.
 
I am not planning to start the building of this kit any time soon (other priorities to take care of) but still wanted to present it to you and perhaps get the motivation to tackle the biggest plastic model of my life.
 
Yves
 

If no one has a hard, fast answer, when I had a case built, the builder said measure and add 4" to the length and width for the inside measurement.   The outside will vary on glass thickness and whether you use decorative or structural framing at the corners, etc.   Your mileage may vary as this isn't set in concrete.   

For anyone who doesn't know, Heyl provides a 1 to 2 page roundup of early american steamships, including many which served in the Civil War. And he provides a drawing of each and every ship. Here's the links and enjoy!
 
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015024193131;view=1up;seq=5
 
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015024193149

This looks like a fabulous new model. Do you have any idea of the dimensions? I am extremely tempted to get this one myself.
 
Cheers
 
Chris
 

This looks like a fabulous new model. Do you have any idea of the dimensions? I am extremely tempted to get this one myself.
 
Cheers
 
Chris
 

That looks smart  - real nice job.
 
OC.

This looks like a fabulous new model. Do you have any idea of the dimensions? I am extremely tempted to get this one myself.
 
Cheers
 
Chris
 

Hi Eric, all building has slowed to a trickle as I have just started a new job which requires a lot of technical training, so by the time I get home I am pretty much zonked out. I have another 2 weeks training left after which I go on shift. So probably in a few weeks I hope to be right back into it. I will more than likely finish the Mississippi first though. Up to the smoke stack stage with her so she shouldn't take too long once i'm back to it, then Chaperon will kick off fully. Thanks for the interest.
 
Cheers
 
Chris
 

Looks like the shipping box dimensions are 17.6" x 10.4" x 10.2". So I imagine the hull length is somewhere near 17" in length. I have this model in 1:350 scale and it's length is around/about 9" - 10". 
Not huge, but a large enough scale that it will have great detail potential. The only reservation I have about the model is that it's main construction is resin. Not my favorite medium, but it's likely this model will be a very limited production run. They're probably not investing a ton of money in molds and instead going the limited production, resin production run.

Hi Eric, all building has slowed to a trickle as I have just started a new job which requires a lot of technical training, so by the time I get home I am pretty much zonked out. I have another 2 weeks training left after which I go on shift. So probably in a few weeks I hope to be right back into it. I will more than likely finish the Mississippi first though. Up to the smoke stack stage with her so she shouldn't take too long once i'm back to it, then Chaperon will kick off fully. Thanks for the interest.
 
Cheers
 
Chris
 

Hey James, welcome. Number 1 thing I advise is build something you are interested in. No matter what your level of experience etc. we all run into problems at some point. By having a genuine interest in the subject of the build you will be far more likely to overcome the problems and complete the build. My very first wooden model ship was the Amati Santa Maria. Scale 1:50 (from memory), and recommended for intermediate modellers. The instructions were total garbage, as many European kits are, but because I was/am a Columbus fanatic I ploughed on through the problem area's and ended up with a very fine double plank on bulkhead model that I am very proud to say I built. So I reckon being invested in the subject of your build should constitute an extremely large percentage of the decision making process as to which kit to tackle first. And don't forget, no matter what problems you run into, you can bet your house that someone else here has experienced the exact same problem previously and can help you out with answers.
 
Cheers
 
Chris
 

Hi Anna, I would start by using 80 grit sandpaper to give the hull a good sand by hand. Don't use power sanders unless you are very skilled with them as they can, and will, remove more than you want to. Once the hull has been sanded you need to fill in any large gaps and attain the correct flowing hull shape for the final planking to cover. To do this you may need to fill and sand a few times to form the correct shape. During this process I would suggest you use 120 grit sandpaper. Everyone will have their own method of sanding, whether using blocks etc. I tend to just fold the paper and hand sand it. This way I can sort of feel the curve as well as see it. When you are happy with the hull shape, give it a final sand with 240 grit paper. Note how we have progressively gone from quite course to very fine paper. Finally, depending upon the type of filler you applied you may need/want to brush a clear coat on it so the subsequent glue on the covering planks has a good surface to bond to. I don't tend to do this as the filler I use doesn't require me too, but I know of some very good builders on this site that do. So as with many things in this hobby there are many ways to skin a cat. Or plank a boat.
 
Cheers
 
Chris
 

G'day Anna, elastic bands (rubber bands), make great temporary holding clamps. They conform to pretty much every shape and are cheap as chips. As Eric has said, once the wood has dried it will hold its shape enough to allow gluing. Again, I usually use elastic bands to further hold the piece whilst the glue sets. As for you bow section on your hull; it wont be too expensive to buy some more thin strips to put another layer of planking over what you have done. If you choose to do so, firstly sand and fill the entire hull to achieve a nice flowing curvature toward the bow and stern (front and back). Give it a nice sand, and you will find you now have a really nice surface to apply a final planking layer which will look first class. Also, try not to use nails unless you want them to be seen. On my current build you can see where I have deliberately put exposed nail heads on the blades of the paddle to simulate large bolts. I will do this to a few more larger structural pieces to further simulate what I think may have been seen on the real vessel.
 
Overall, your vessel is coming along very nicely and you should be very proud. I will continue to follow along with interest. Good luck.
 
Cheers
 
Chris
 

hello, I don't know if a sail set exists for model or if you can make one yourself, but I would love to see this kit with sails. even furled would be super and not obscure the intricate rigging work.
 
cheers
chris

Hi Anna, I would start by using 80 grit sandpaper to give the hull a good sand by hand. Don't use power sanders unless you are very skilled with them as they can, and will, remove more than you want to. Once the hull has been sanded you need to fill in any large gaps and attain the correct flowing hull shape for the final planking to cover. To do this you may need to fill and sand a few times to form the correct shape. During this process I would suggest you use 120 grit sandpaper. Everyone will have their own method of sanding, whether using blocks etc. I tend to just fold the paper and hand sand it. This way I can sort of feel the curve as well as see it. When you are happy with the hull shape, give it a final sand with 240 grit paper. Note how we have progressively gone from quite course to very fine paper. Finally, depending upon the type of filler you applied you may need/want to brush a clear coat on it so the subsequent glue on the covering planks has a good surface to bond to. I don't tend to do this as the filler I use doesn't require me too, but I know of some very good builders on this site that do. So as with many things in this hobby there are many ways to skin a cat. Or plank a boat.
 
Cheers
 
Chris
 

The Mastini book is gold! If you can get it do so.
 
Cheers
 
Chris
 

Hi Anna, I would start by using 80 grit sandpaper to give the hull a good sand by hand. Don't use power sanders unless you are very skilled with them as they can, and will, remove more than you want to. Once the hull has been sanded you need to fill in any large gaps and attain the correct flowing hull shape for the final planking to cover. To do this you may need to fill and sand a few times to form the correct shape. During this process I would suggest you use 120 grit sandpaper. Everyone will have their own method of sanding, whether using blocks etc. I tend to just fold the paper and hand sand it. This way I can sort of feel the curve as well as see it. When you are happy with the hull shape, give it a final sand with 240 grit paper. Note how we have progressively gone from quite course to very fine paper. Finally, depending upon the type of filler you applied you may need/want to brush a clear coat on it so the subsequent glue on the covering planks has a good surface to bond to. I don't tend to do this as the filler I use doesn't require me too, but I know of some very good builders on this site that do. So as with many things in this hobby there are many ways to skin a cat. Or plank a boat.
 
Cheers
 
Chris
 

Gentlemen:
To Chris, Mark and shihawk, Thank you so much for responding to my plea, I found the book and have it on order.
Maybe with it's help, I can now have a better idea about what I am trying to do.
I am loving every second I spend in my " Small but cozy shipyard " being retired, I now can spend most of my time enjoying the process .
Thank you again.
Froggyman

Thanks Pat. We have a local hobby shop here which I reckon I have seen the rods in question.
 
Cheers
 
Chris
 

Thanks for the response everyone. Unfortunately nothing I have tried works to my satisfaction. This brass wire is way too thick and non-pliable to stretch or roll etc. Once the temperature drops below 40c here, if it ever does, I think I will take Mark's tip and go to the local hobby shop to source some straight rods. My other thought was maybe a very thin chain through the stanchions instead? The constant heat here will doubtless give me plenty of time to mull over the choice.
 
Cheers
 
Chris
 

The Mastini book is gold! If you can get it do so.
 
Cheers
 
Chris